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SIWIKE tools : Health – Sleep

When working with clients I will often start with making sure some fundamentals are taken care of. I’ll often start with their health: nutrition, exercise, sleep being three important pillars. If those aren’t taken care of, then the rest of the career journey becomes much more difficult.

While physical health is often taken into account, mental health is often overlooked. And it seems like there are more mental health issues creeping up in our lives. More cases of stress, anxiety, even to the point of depression. Some mild cases and some more severe cases. You’ve all probably have dealt with some form of it on the spectrum. It’s great that there are more and more conversations related to the topic and hopefully will get to a point where it’s really just identified as part of the normal human so that we can get over the stigma.

I don’t have severe depression or panic attacks or a high case of anxiety. However, I do have a bunch of stressors and anxiety in my life that I know previously held me back. Here are a few mental health hacks that I found helpful.

Meditation

I struggled with meditation for a long time. I could never get into a consistent practice. While sitting there and focusing on my breath, my monkey mind would go off in 1 million directions. I found it difficult to sit for more than a few minutes at a time. Then in late 2019, I committed to myself to making meditation a daily practice. Now I sit with an app and take 20 minutes out of my day to meditate. It is guided meditation and helps me to stay centred. It has helped me with my mindfulness throughout the day so that I get less stressed and less anxious.

Body scan, power poses and angel wings

Well this might be a different form of meditation, a body scan has helped me in the coming process. When I’m anxious about something, I take the time and pretend that there’s a scanner (like in a sci-fi movie) that is going on the top of my body all the way down to my feet and then back up. I stay in my body and look to feel the scanner as it passes by every point of the body. A simple 30 seconds down and then 30 seconds back up can Have a great calming effect.

If you’re looking for a greater feeling of confidence, then making a power pose (think Superman, Wonder Woman) can help your mindset change with your physical body. While it’s a known fact that your body can be affected by your state of mind, it’s now understood that your state of mind can be influenced by your body as well. Take a look at Amy Cuddy and her well-watched TED talk.

Another quick hack when someone has frustrated you or basically pissed you off, take a moment to imagine that person with angel wings. You’ll have to find the frustration leaving you with a smile instead as your imagination lightens your perception of that person. Great for parents with kids. Or really anyone who’s ever had to deal with someone who frustrates them

Future visualization

If you have ever had to do something important, be it taking a final exam worth over 50% of your mark, or doing a talk in front of a large group of people, or something that would otherwise give you butterflies in your stomach, future visualization can help. When you’re in the moment of feeling the butterflies in your stomach as you’re waiting to do that important task, imagine yourself 15 minutes after the event. How do you feel then as you’re exiting the exam hall? As you’re getting off stage? As you’re leaving the venue? Perhaps a bit relieved, calm, happy it’s all over. Now take that feeling and go into that important event. That calmer and more positive emotion will help you do better.

Those are some of the most helpful hacks I found to overcome stress, anxiety, frustration. What are your favourites to use?